Decolorized refined petroleum product and method of producing same and decolorizing agent therefor



arch 13, 1934.

J. a. RATHER ET AL 5 DECOLORIZED REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCT AND METHOD OFPRODUCING SAME AND DECOLORIZING AGENT THEREFOR Filed Feb. 5, 1927 angx14, ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES DECOLORIZED REFINED PE T R 0 L E U M PRODUCT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME AND DECOLORIZINGAGENT THEREFOR James B. Rather, Brooklyn, Orland M. Reifl, JacksonHeights, and Leslie 0. Beard, Jr., Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors toSocony-Vacuum Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication February 3,

12 Claims.

This invention relates to decolorized refined petroleum products andmethod of producing same, and decolorizing agents therefor, and moreparticularly relates to the decolorization of refined petroleumproducts, notably kerosene and gasoline, which have developeddiscoloration or pigmentation during storage.

It is well known that refined petroleum products, especially keroseneand gasoline, on being stored are apt to develop discoloration whichrenders the products objectionable to the trade.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a method ofdepriving refined petroleum products of objectionable color orpigmentation which may have developed during storage, and to obtain, asa result of the treatment, products having the characteristics of beingfree of discoloration and of not developing objectionable color orpigmentation thereafter; and to obtain products of the characterreferred to which are not impaired as to their valuable and desirablequalities.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of the characterreferred to, which does not increase materially the cost of productionof the improved products either in small amounts or on a largecommercial scale.

A further object of this invention is to provide a decolorizing agent oragents (for use singly or in combination with each other) which may beused satisfactorily and inexpensively to deprive refined petroleumproducts of discoloration developed in storage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive apparatus for practicing the method and for producing theproducts referred to, quickly and inexpensively, particularly on a largecommercial scale.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

In accordance with this invention, the discolored refined petroleumproduct is deprived of the objectionable color by treating thediscolored product with a suitable decolorizing agent. As examples ofsuitable agents for this purpose, the following substances may bementionedz-The dehydroxy benzenes comprising hydroquinone, pyrocatechin(catechol), resorcinol, and, in general aromatic or aliphatic dihydroxycompounds with or without substituted groups (methyl, ethyl, etc;chlorine, etc.). These agents may be used singly or in combination witheach other.

The treatment is carried out by mixing the agent or agents thoroughly inthe discolored 1927, Serial No. 165,546

product. It may be that the agent combines with the pigmentation. In anyevent, the discoloration disappears. If the agent is a solid, it ispreferably first dissolved in a suitable solvent which is miscible inthe product, or the product may be percolated through a mass of thesolid agent. For instance, when hydroquinone is used, it may be firstdissolved in isopropyl or some aliphatic alcohol. When a solution ofthis character is mixed with the discolored gasoline or kerosene, theagent becomes dispersed in the product in an exceedingly fine condition,and its subsequent solution in the product takes place much more rapidlythan otherwise. Only a very minute amount of agent is required topermanently decolorize a large quantity of discolored product. It hasbeen found that in general one part by weight of agent will permanentlydecolorize between 50,000 to 150,000 parts of discolored product, theproportions varying somewhat in accordance with the degree and nature ofthe pigmentation to be attacked. So long as the decolorizing agent isthoroughly mixed with the discolored product, it is not vital how themixing is accomplished, nor at what temperature the treatment is carriedout.

For the purpose of illustrating one possible type of apparatus suitablefor carrying out the treatment, attention is hereby directed to theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, which shows,in plan view, an apparatus, embodying this invention, and whereby themethod may be practiced.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus includes a centrifugal pump,designated in general at 1, having an inlet 2 and an outlet 3. A tank 4for holding the decolorizing agent, in liquid form or in solution, isfitted with a glass gauge 5 for noting the rate of addition of thetreating liquid to the oil under treatment. The agent drops through apipe 6 having a needle valve 7 whereby the rate of flow of the agent maybe controlled, and past a sight feed 8. The agent enters the pump 1through a nozzle orifice indicated at 9. Air pressure may be suppliedthrough pipe 10 to facilitate the feeding of treating liquid.

The discolored petroleum distillate product to be treated enters thecentrifugal pump 1 through the'pipe 2 and is continuously fed with thetreating solution at the point 9. The treating solution and the productunder treatment are intimately and completely mixed by the impellers ofthe centrifugal pump, and the treated and in such increments that theratio a dry tank until it has been decolorized by the action thereonofthe incorporated treating agent. 7

If it is desired to decolorize the gasoline or kerosene by percolationthrough a body of solid treating agent, this can be accomplished byforcing the product through, a body of solid treating agent contained ina tube of suitable dimensions; the agent perferably being held in placein the tube by wire screens. In order to reduce the resistance to fiowofiered by such a body of treating agent, it is advisable to mix theagent with such as 30-60 mesh filter clay.

For the specific practice of this invention in one manner to which weare partial, we make a 10% solution of hydroquinone in iso-propylalcohol and inject a measured quantity of this solution into tank 4. Theaddition of the hydroquinone solution to the product under agitation inpump-.1 is made gradually from the tank 4,

hydroquinone solution to the amount of product that is being treatedshall preferably be in'a ratio predetermined by test. Usually one partof solution to 10,000 parts of product is adequate, or expressed interms of the hydroquinone, one part of hydroquinone to 100,000 parts-ofproduct. The product after treatment flows to dry tank where it isallowed to stand until sufficient time has elapsed for the reactionbetween the hydroquinone and pigmentation to be completed. At ordinarytemperatures 24 hours usually sufiices for this reaction to come tocompletion. At more elevated temperatures a shorter time will berequired. During this treatment the product should be kept dry and thetreated product should be kept out of contact with water, since thesolubility of hydroquinone in water is so much higher than it is inpetroleum distillate products of the kind referred to herein, that thewater may tend to dissolve out the hydroquinone, and result in thereturn of some discoloration.

It will be apparent that the method of decolorization set forth above issimple and easy to practice, and, because of the small amounts ofmaterials required, is quite cheap. In addition, petroleum productsdecolorized by this method are invariablymore stable than originallyfdueto the continued presence of the treating agent which functions as anegative oxidation catalyst. The products are novel in that they havethe characteristic of not developing color on being stored, and thus arenever objectionable to the trade on account of developing discoloration.The simplicity of the apparatus requires no comment. i

As many changes could be made in the process described, and as manyapparently widely different'embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is understood that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Our copending application, serial No. 315,914, filed October 29, 1928,improvements in distillate petroleum products and method of treatingsame, includes disclosure of the subject matter of this application andclaims certain of the subject matter as to which claims have not beenmaintained herein.

some granular inert material,

-or kerosene which has become of the,

a clean 'a low-boiling point 1,961,205 011 is discharged through pipe 3to be stored in What .we claim is:

. 1.. The process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate productof the class ofgaso line or kerosene which has become discolored byinternal pigmentation, which consistsof adding a minute quantity of adihydroxybenz'ene to the said product.

2.- The'process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate productofthe class of gasoline or kerosene which has become discolored byinternal pigmentation, which consists of adding hydroquinone to the saidproduct.

3. The process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate product ofthe class of gasoline or kerosene which has become discolored byinternal -pigmentation, which includes adding to the said product asmall amountof hydroquinone in -solution in an aliphatic alcohol.

4. The process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate product ofthe class of gasoline discolored by internal pigmentation, whichincludes adding hydroquinone, a little at a time, to the said productunder violent agitation.

5'. The method of'treating light colored distillate petroleum productsof the class of gasoline or kerosene which normally tend to becomediscolored during storage and which have becomediscolored, whichcomprises adding to said discolored product. a dihydroxy benzene inquantity sufiicient to effect substantial decolorization of said productand substantially to retard subsequent discoloration of said product, 6.The method of decolorizing and stabilizing petroleum distillate productof the class of gasolineor kerosene that has become discolored duringstorage, which comprises adding to the said discolored product adihydroxy benzene in the proportion of 1 part 'of the dihydroxy benzeneto from 50,000 to 150,000 parts of the product, sufficient to effectsubstantial decolorization of the product and substantially to delaysubsequent objectionable "color formation.

7. The method of treating light colored distillate petroleum products.of the class of gasoline or kerosene which normally tend to becomediscolored during storage and which have become discolored, whichcomprises adding to said discolored product hydroquinone in quantitysufficient to efiect substantial decolorization of said productandsubstantially to retard subsequent discoloration of said product.

8. The method of decolorizing and stabilizing a low boiling pointpetroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline or kerosene thathas become discolored during storage, which comprises adding to the saiddiscolored product hydroquinone in the proportion of 1 part hydroquinoneto form 50,000 to 150,000 parts of the product, sufficient to efiectsubstantial decoloricome discolored, which comprises adding to said 4discolored product pyrocatechin in quantity sufficient to efiectsubstantial decolorization of said product and substantially to retardsubsequent discoloration of said product.

10. The method of decolorizing and stabilizing a low boiling pointpetroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline or kerosene thathas 1 come discolored, which comprises adding to said discolored productresorcinol in quantity sufiicient to effect substantial decolorizationof said product and substantially to retard subsequent discoloration ofsaid product.

12. The method of decolorizing and stabilizing a low boiling pointpetroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline or kerosene thathas become discolored during storage, which comprises adding to the saiddiscolored product resorcinol in the proportion of 1 part of resorcinolto from 50,000 to 150,000 parts of the product, sufiicient to efiectsubstantial decolorization of the product and substantially to delaysubsequent objectionable color formation.

J JAMES B. RATHER.

ORLAND M. REIFF'. LESLIE C. BEARD, JR.

